Ultimate: Beetle Borgs
by Ryuranger
Summary: A Phantasm grants three children their wish of becoming Beetle Borgs, but the wish turns into a nightmare when Vexor attacks Earth. (Takes place during Year Three of my Ultimate Power Rangers series but can be read as a standalone).
1. Coming to Life

_**Author's Note:**_ _The following reboot of Beetle Borgs takes place during Year Three of my Ultimate Power Rangers series._

* * *

**Coming to Life**

Residents called it "Chartersville," a township east of Angel Grove that meshed with the city of Leawood as well as Crossworld City. The township was mostly upper class and boasted a high-quality education system, the state's finest.

The students of Chartersville didn't care much about their corporation's standing. As far as they were concerned, Chartersville was the same as every other city in the growing county…except for one difference: Chartersville was home to the Beetle Borgs.

A local artist dreamed up a comic strip that appeared weekly in the paper, featuring a three-member team of super heroes called the Big Bad Beetle Borgs. The strip actually started as a political piece, a spoof of the strange happenings over the past two years. Multi-colored costumed fighters battling giant sized monsters, a man dressed like a spider swinging across sky scrapers, bug-armored warriors riding motorcycles…the list went on.

But Beetle Borgs took off and became a hit with younger audiences. The title went from political satire to popular kids' icon in a matter of months. Marvel bought the rights to the Borgs and started producing a monthly series as part of its Mangaverse line. Small local businesses were quick to capitalize on the Beetle Borgs' movement, and Zoom Comics was no exception.

The small comic shop was bustling with activity as kids and young teens got their hands on the latest monthly issue of Beetle Borgs and a new graphic novel.

Eleven-year-old Drew McCormick sat in the back of the store while flipping through the comic book pages. His eyes opened wide with wonder. "Sweet…" he said to himself.

Drew looked up to see that the young girl named Heather had heard him. She was looking at him and smiling. Drew blushed.

Heather was a few years older than Drew and had long blonde hair flowing across her shoulders. She helped out at the store and worked there a few hours a week. Drew had liked her for as long as he could remember. He often fantasized about becoming a Beetle Borg and winning her over through some heroic act.

"Check it out!" Drew's younger sister Jo shouted while running over to her brother.

Ten-year-old Jo nearly knocked Drew over while flipping open her copy of the graphic novel. Jo idolized the Red Stinger Borg. She even wore a backwards red cap just as the comic character did.

"Check it out!" she said while flipping through the pages. "There's a cameo by the Masked Rider!"

The Masked Rider series swept Japan after a hero of the same name emerged in 2001. Kamen Rider Black fought a terrorist cult within the shadows of Tokyo. He was shrouded in mystery, and everyone in Japan wanted to know more about him. This prompted the Kamen Rider manga, which came to America in the form of Masked Rider.

"Which one?" Drew asked while looking over his sister's shoulder.

"RX," she said.

"Sweet," Drew said as he looked over the cameo appearance.

The doors to Zoom's back rooms opened, and Drew's friend Roland walked out, his grandmother following him with a lecture about putting school work before play. Roland rolled his eyes while walking towards Drew and Jo. Roland's grandmother helped his father run Zoom comics.

Roland pulled up a chair and sat down next to his friends. "Hey guys…guess what?"

"Cameo," Jo said while practically shoving the graphic novel in Roland's face.

"Better," Roland said while pushing the comic away. "I was thinking it's time for an adventure of our own."

Drew's interest perked. "What do you mean?"

"You know that old Hilhurst mansion?" Roland asked.

Drew nodded. Everyone knew about Hilhurst. "The haunted place? What about it?"

Roland shrugged, a mischievous grin on his face. "We're going there. Tonight."

"Excellent!" Jo shouted.

Drew shook his head. "Bad plan…"

"Oh come on, Drew" Roland said.

Going to Hilhurst had always been a freshman orientation of sorts for Chartersville high school students. It was said to be haunted.

Drew glanced up and noticed Heather looking at them. He looked back to Roland and smiled.

"Let's do it," Drew said.

* * *

The kids pulled their bikes up to the old mansion later that night. The woods surrounding the old Hilhurst place were eerily quiet. The trees even seemed twisted and dark.

"After you," Jo said as she ducked behind Drew and grabbed his arm.

Even Roland stepped behind Drew.

Drew looked back to his friend and arced an eyebrow. "You know, this was your idea…"

Roland shrugged, staring ahead at the mansion with fear.

Drew sighed and shook his head. "Let's go…"

Drew led Roland and Jo into the mansion.

* * *

The floor creaked under their feet as the three friends walked through the dark hallways of Hilhurst. A supernatural wind howled through the dark corridors and nearly knocked the three kids off their feet.

Jo clung onto her brother's arm. "Something tells me this was a bad idea."

"Ya think," Drew said as he struggled to stay on his feet.

The three kids turned and bolted towards the exit, but the inside of the mansion seemed to have reshaped itself. They were lost.

Roland shook his head. "I know this was the way we came."

Drew shook his head. "This place is a too-"

The floor fell out from underneath the kids and they plummeted into the darkness.

* * *

A slight breeze woke the three kids up as they pulled themselves to their feet. They were in a dark basement with rotten wood panels and cobwebs.

Jo narrowed her eyes at Roland. "'Let's go to Hilhurst' you said. 'It will be an adventure' you said."

Drew placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. "Calm down, Jo…we'll be okay."

They didn't notice a small blue gem pulsing on the ground behind them. The gem held a swirling being of energy trapped inside. The being reached out with its mind and felt the three young ones outside. They weren't like the other intruders at Hilhurst. They were…different.

Blue light danced across the crystal's surface as the being reached out and felt the life force of the kids. Each was ripe with untapped power and magick. Each had the potential to become powerful mages. Each was what the being needed.

The energy being established a conduit between itself and the kids. It used the children to tap into The Power and draw energy unto itself.

Drew, Jo, and Roland let out a startled gasp as the crystal exploded. A blue cloud of energy burst from the shards and hovered in front of the three kids.

The energy being probed the kids' minds for a suitable form and took shape. The cloud slowly twirled and formed a blue-skinned humanoid dressed in intricate robes.

The newly formed being let out a sigh of relief. "I cannot tell you how _good _it feels to be out of that thing."

The kids took a step back, Roland and Jo hiding behind Drew.

"What?" Drew asked with a wrinkled brow. "I mean…what?"

The being tilted his head. "Did I not say that right? This language thing is such a pain."

The humanoid snapped his fingers, and the group was teleported to the first floor of the mansion in a burst of light. The kids looked around in shock after making sure all of their body parts are still attached.

"What are you?" Drew asked.

The creature shrugged. "It's complicated. That's besides the point though."

"What is the point?" Drew asked.

The being's face lit up. "The point is…you saved me!"

He reached out and wrapped the three kids into a hug, his arms stretching like rubber.

The kids looked to each other with disbelief after the creature released them.

"Do you have a name?" Jo asked with suspicion.

The being shrugged. "Mike?"

Drew and the others raised their eyebrows.

"How about Stan?" the creature asked. "Kip? Joey?"

"Flabber," Jo said.

Drew and Roland chuckled.

Flabber shrugged. "Whatever it wants. Now…you three kids saved me. I have to repay you."

"How did we save you?" Drew asked.

Roland nudged Drew. "Don't argue with the man…" he looked to Flabber. "Repay us how?"

Flabber looked thoughtfully for a moment and paced back and forth across the wooden floor. He snapped his fingers as a thought struck him. "I'll grant you one wish."

"Just one?" Jo said.

"Hey," Flabber said while placing his hands on his hips. "I'm not some genie or something."

Drew looked at the being with doubt. "So if we wished to….be Beetle Borgs you could just make it happen?"

Flabber wrinkled his blue brow. "Beetle what now?"

"Beetle Borgs," Roland said as he pulled out an issue of the comic.

"Done," Flabber said as he extended his hand at the comic. The book started to glow with blinding golden energy.

* * *

The spell was complex and yet simple. Flabber created a trio of transformation devices, molding them after the Beetle Bonders of the comic. Basic matter replication was well within the realm of the being's magick. For Flabber could alter reality, which was why the simple, yet dangerous, being had been trapped.

Flabber infused the bonders with energy from The Power. The Power would allow them to change. To transform into armor modeled after the Beetle Borg designs. Flabber began pulling images from the pages and using them as templates, using The Power to manipulate them into an arsenal for the Beetle Borg teams.

The process was exhausting, and unfortunately, Flabber's fatigue came at a horrible cost.

A ship shaped like a twisted arm and hand of bark appeared in the skies above Chartersville. A red glowing orb was in the center of what would be the palm.

The ship and its inhabitants weren't real. They were stripped from the comic pages by Flabber by mistake. They were organic holograms in a sense. Beings of light and energy contained by intricate organic force fields. Each organic hologram had a program based on the comics. They were programmed for destruction.

Inside of the ship was a chamber resembling a hollowed out tunnel. Lines of bug-like soldiers called Scabs kneeled on the chamber floor while facing a thick-white web.

A white-robed being appeared in front of the web. He wore a cone-shaped helmet and faceplate with a red visor that hid his face. His name was Vexor.

"My loyal scabs," Vexor said, following the imperative etched into his being from the comics. "Go forth and destroy this world."

Wedge-shaped fighters piloted by scabs left the ship's lower hanger bays and spread across the city. Each fired crackling orange laser blasts that exploded against the streets below as citizens ran in panic.

Vexor stood on the bridge of his ship and extended his hand. A blue gem was jammed in his palm, mirroring the ship. The ship's maw gathered the flames and kinetic energy unleashed below and used it to strengthen Vexor and his minions.

* * *

Drew looked down at the Beetle Bonder in his hand.

Roland rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Nice try with the light show, but I have this toy at home already."

"Yeah," Jo said with disbelief as she tugged at Drew's shirt. "Come on Drew. This place gives me the creeps."

Drew's gaze lingered on Flabber before he followed his sister and friend outside.

* * *

Vexor extended his hand again as the blue gem in his palm pulsed with energy. The ship mirrored his movements and sent a red energy pulse down onto the streets below. A three-foot thick layer of dry mud spread across the streets.

Scabs landed on the mud and began rounding up citizens as prisoners.

* * *

Drew pulled his bike to a stop along the forest path.

"I want to go back," Drew said.

"Drew," Jo said. "You didn't even want to go in the first place."

Drew nodded. "I know…" he pulled out his Beetle Bonder. "But what if this is real?"

"You go ahead," Roland said. "I'll take Jo home."

Jo started to ride ahead with a smile on her face. "You mean _I'll_ take _you_ home."

* * *

Roland and Jo were riding their bikes into the city when they noticed a line of citizens being led forward by Scabs. They pulled their bikes to a halt and opened their eyes wide with horror.

"Do you see that too?" Jo asked.

Roland nodded. "We must have hit our heads pretty hard when we fell."

A group of Scabs jumped onto the two kids from above and tackled them to the ground.

They were brought up to their feet and bound by the soldiers, and looked up to see another monster from the comics. He was dressed in gray black-and-red-trimmed metal armor fastened into place by screws and bolts. He had a large double-edged sword. The lower half of his face was covered with a black scarf.

"Bolt Blade?!" Roland asked with disbelief just before the monster signaled the Scabs to carry Roland and Jo away.

* * *

Drew stood in front of Flabber with his arms crossed.

"What do you mean _accident_?" Drew asked.

Flabber shook his head. "I'll show you…but you're not going to like it…"

Flabber created a holographic screen that showed the Scabs spreading across the city. They had Roland and Jo. They had Heather…

Drew's eyes opened wide with disbelief. "This…this can't be real."

Flabber gave Drew a look of sympathy. "It's what you wished for…just a little too accurate on my part."

Drew nodded, his face turned towards the screen. "I have to stop them. Don't I?"

Flabber nodded.

Drew narrowed his eyes as he watched the Scabs continue to spread. He ignored the swelling feeling of fear in his throat and ran outside. He stood with a grim look of determination on his face as he moved through a series of gestures he knew by heart.

He stood with his left leg forward and brought his right hand back near his right temple. He crossed his left arm over his body and across his right arm while shouting "Beetle Bonder!"

The newly created Beetle Bonder appeared in his hand with a flash of blue energy. He hesitated before finishing the process.

"Beetle Blast!" he shouted while raising the bonder towards the sky. Blue energy twirled around him as his armor came to life. The power armor made him appear taller and muscular. He could feel its strength. He was the Blue Stinger Beetle Borg.

* * *

Roland and Jo were led across the mud-covered streets by the Scabs and Bolt Blade. They were taken to the base of a tall building where the rest of the captives were being held.

"I'm scared, Roland," Jo said.

"Me too…" Roland said.

Lances of golden energy suddenly cut through the air and exploded through several of the Scabs. Villains and citizens alike looked up to a nearby building in shock to see Blue Beetle standing with his laser blaster in hand.

"Let them go!" Blue Beetle shouted.

Citizens ran from the scene, anxious to escape. Roland and Jo stood stunned as Blue Beetle jumped down towards them.

"Drew?!" Roland asked in disbelief.

"Better Borg, guys," Blue Beetle said.

Roland and Jo smiled wide as they turned towards the villain.

"Beettle Bonders!" they shouted as their bonders appeared.

Jo's smile grew wider. "I can't believe I'm about to say this…"

"Beetle Blast!" Roland and Jo shouted as they transformed into the Green Hunter and Red Striker Beetle Borgs respectively.

Blue Beetle stood in a defensive stance and shouted "Beetle Borgs!"

The Borgs slowly walked towards their opponents, standing tall and straight just as their heroes would.

Green Beetle pounced forward towards a Scab and crushed the soldier's head between his hands. He twirled the Scab around and crashed its legs against its fellow soldiers before releasing it.

Blue Beetle leapt forward and double punched through a formation of Scabs. He turned and slammed an uppercut against a soldier's gut.

"Beetle Magnum!" Red Beetle shouted as she raised her sidearm and fired lances of red energy that exploded against several of the Scabs.

The three Borgs regrouped.

Vexor watched the battle unfold from his bridge. He extended his hand as the gem in his palm pulsed with energy.

Mirroring Vexor's movements, a hand of crimson energy reached down from the skies and grabbed hold of the three Beetle Borgs, pulling them into a pocket dimension.

"What now?" Red Beetle said as she rose to her feet within the dimension. It was covered with fog, and strange bubbles floated through the air.

"I know what this is…" Green Beetle said.

Blue Beetle nodded. "It's the Battle Zone…not good…"

A ghostly image of Bolt Blade appeared behind the Borgs. They turned to face the monster, and it fired jagged bolts of crimson energy that exploded against their armor.

Bolt Blade appeared and swung towards the three Borgs while hanging upside down. He swiped his blade across their armor one-by-one before flipping and landing on the ground.

"Beetle Magnums!" Blue Beetle shouted as he and his teammates opened fire on the creature. Bolt Blade vanished, and the beams passed through midair.

The Battle Zone started to crack as the three Borgs were sucked through the opening, explosions sparking across their armor. They were tossed out into the mountains and thrown across the ground.

The three Borgs rose to their feet just as Bolt Blade's saber shot towards them like a spear and cut across their armor. The three fell to the ground as Bolt Blade stalked towards them, another sword in hand.

"This is all our fault…" Blue Beetle said as he struggled to raise to his feet. "All my fault…"

The three rose and stood in fighting stances.

"Come on, guys," Blue Beetle said. "We have to fix this mess we've made. Weapons!"

The three Borgs placed their hands behind their backs as their weapons flashed into existence.

"Stinger Blade!" Blue Beetle shouted as the wrist mounted blade wrapped around his forearm.

"Hunter claw!" Green Beetle shouted as the two-pronged claw weapon wrapped around his forearm.

"Striker Blaster!" Red Beetle shouted as her weapon appeared over her arm.

Green Hunter pounced forward and grabbed Bolt Blade with his claw. He lifted the monster into the air as his weapon began to spin, twirling the creature out of control. Green Beetle released his grasp and threw the monster loose.

Red Beetle moved forward as her blaster started to spin. Tendrils of crimson energy crackled from her blaster and exploded against the monster as Blue Beetle moved forward.

Blue Beetle held his weapon back as the blade started to spin like a drill.

"Say goodbye, you comic book reject…Beetle Blaze!"

The energized saber cut across the monster with an explosive display of force.

The creature fell backwards and exploded in a burst of light.

The Beetle Borgs lowered their weapons and stared at the remains of their opponent.

"I can't believe it…" Blue Beetle said to himself quietly. His fantasy had come true…only it wasn't nearly as glamorous as he had hoped.

**To be continued...**


	2. Curse of the Shadow Borg

**Curse of the Shadow Borg**

Drew straightened his hair and took a deep breath. He reached out and gripped the door handle, slowly. _Here we go…_

He opened the door and stepped inside. The boy flashed his best smile and turned his Adorable Dial to 15 out of 10. "Hey Heather! I'm here to-"

He stopped in his tracks. He didn't find the stacks of comics surprising- Zoom was closed for Inventory Day. Heather had invited him to help put the newest comics on the shelves, and he had jumped at the chance for some alone time with her. But…

A young boy with shaggy brown hair sat beside Heather in the center of the floor. They laughed together, and Heather playfully nudged him.

Drew felt his heart sink. _Don't freak out, don't freak out…you're a hero, you can handle monsters, you can handle a dumb looking pretty boy hitting on your girl. _

Heather looked up at Drew and smiled. "Oh, hey Drew! Glad you came."

"Uh, yeah…" Drew said awkwardly. "Any time."

She put a hand on dumb-pretty-boy's shoulder. "This is Josh. I invited him over to help. He's new to town so I've been showing him around."

Josh flashed a dumb smile and wave. So dumb. "Hey, tsup?"

_Did he seriously just say 'tsup'? _

Heather found it cute, apparently. Her hand kept touching his leg. "Josh, this is Drew! The little brother I never had."

Drew stopped breathing. So much for the hero always getting the girl. _I hate my life._

* * *

Vexor blasted his minions with an energy bolt. But the underlings didn't scream. They knew better. Vexor found screams encouraging.

Typhus, Noxic, and Jara stayed on their knees and kept their gazes lowered.

"We have been in this world for weeks and have been bested, time and again, by children." Vexor didn't care if the children possessed the power of Beetle Borgs. They were brats and should have been easy to kill. "I am out of patience with you imbeciles."

"But Master!" Noxic shouted. "Those kids-"

Vexor blasted Noxic. "I did not ask you to speak."

The villain stepped closer to his minions. His hands pulsed with power as he prepared to deliver his punishment. But he stopped when he heard the strangest of noises echo through his ship.

Laughter.

A pulse of black smoke appeared and pealed back, revealing a creature no taller than three feet, with the characteristics of a strange elderly insect. She wore a dark cloak and carried a gnarled, wooden staff.

"Their failures are your own, Vexor," the bug said with a clattering, hoarse voice that sounded female. And ancient. "You've failed to understand the forces at play."

Vexor fired an energy bolt at the creature, but she vanished and reappeared behind him.

"You're not even real," she said. "You're ripped from the pages of a comic book. Imagination given form. But these Beetle Borgs…they wield real power."

Vexor pointed at the creature. "Kill her!"

Typhus, Noxic and Jara shot to their feet to attack.

The creature merely lifted her staff. Without a word, she suspended the villains in place with invisible energy. "Instead of flailing about like fools, why not listen to what I have to say."

"I have no interest in strangers who intrude upon my ship," Vexor said.

"I am not a stranger," the insect said. "I am Sorceress Jagul. And I am here to help you eliminate the children you know as Beetle Borgs. Assist me…and I can make their power yours."

* * *

Drew walked with Roland through the park the next day. Drew finished telling his friend about the incident with Heather and Josh.

Roland knitted his brow. "You didn't think it was like a date, did you?"

"No," Drew said defensively. "Maybe. I don't know. It doesn't matter, you should have seen this guy. He was all over her!"

Roland shrugged. "Doesn't sound like she minded it much."

"She called me her little brother, Roland," Drew said. "That's worse than being friend-zoned."

"She is older than you…"

"Barely," Drew said. "Besides…I'm a superhero now. Aren't heroes supposed to always get the girl?"

"Since when is being a hero anything like we thought it would be?"

Drew paused. He didn't find the hero life very fun or exciting. Instead, responsibility and worry weighed heavily on him. He felt guilty for every live lost because of Vexor and his goons. After all, if Drew hadn't wished to become a Beetle Borg, Vexor and his monsters would have never appeared.

"Good point," Drew said quietly.

Suddenly, teleportation lights flashed within the park. Typhus, Noxic and Jara appeared, and they surrounded the two boys.

"Oh great," Drew said as he and Roland shifted into fighting stances. "The goon squad."

* * *

The boys didn't notice Sorceress Jagul appear in the treetops. She opened her hand, revealing a black beetle that looked like a longhorn. She whispered an incantation, and the beetle flew towards the boys.

* * *

Drew held out his hand to summon his Bonder. "Beetle- ah!" He felt a sting and whipped his hand back. "What was that?"

"Uh, Drew?"

"Right," Drew said.

"Beetle Bonders!" The boys summoned their Bonders and thrust them forward. "Beetle Blast!"

Energy and armor wrapped around them as they transformed into the Blue Stinger and Green Hunter Beetle Borgs.

The Borgs charged to attack. But before they could strike, Sorceress Jagul leapt from the trees and fired purple energy blasts. The blasts struck the Borgs' armor with bursts of spark, taking them off guard.

Jagul landed next to Typhus, Noxic, and Jara.

"I have what we came for," she said. "Come. There's no time to waste."

She waved her staff with blurs of distortion energy. The energy washed Blue Stinger and Green Hunter with waves of vertigo. They grasped their helmets as they staggered.

Green Hunter screamed. "It feels like my brain's going to explode!"

"Mine too!" Blue Stinger shouted. "Who is that?!"

The waves cleared, and when the Borgs looked up, the villains were gone.

Blue Stinger's heart pounded as he caught his breath. "What just happened?"

Green Hunter shook his head. "I was going to ask you!"

Blue Stinger cursed his luck. Just when he finally thought he had a grip on being a hero…

"Let's go talk to Flabber," Blue Stinger said. "Maybe he can help figure out what's going on."

* * *

Jo joined Drew and Roland at Hillhurst. They gathered in the dusty dining room, where Flabber hovered over the table. He crossed his legs as if sitting and looked ahead thoughtfully, listening to the boys explain what happened with the odd bug sorceress.

"Hmmm…" the Phantasm said. "Interesting. Very interesting. AH HA!" A lightbulb appeared over his head. "I've got it! I know who that bug lady is!"

"Who is she?" Jo asked.

"It was so obvious!" Flabber shouted.

"Who?" Roland asked.

"Of course, that's her!"

"Flabber…" Drew said.

"Oh! Right, right…" Flabber leaned closer to the kids. "That bug lady…is a bad guy." He clapped and leaned back. "You're welcome, case solved! Now, what's for breakfast?"

Drew sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Flabber… sometimes I hate you."

* * *

Sorceress Jagul stepped into the dark bowels of Vexor's ship. Typhus, Noxic and Jara followed her, and they didn't try to hide their agitation.

"I don't get it!" Jara shouted. "All you did was have your little bug bite that little boy's hand!"

"There is power in his blood," Jagul said. "Power that we now have."

She approached a pedestal and laid the bug there. She lifted her staff and squashed the insect. Its guts flattened against the hard surface of the pedestal, which began to glow with dark light.

The insect's remains expanded and started to take shape, slithering and stretching, stitching into a new pattern. Dark energy ebbed through the insectoid ichor, which screeched like a bug.

* * *

Drew collapsed to his knees and clutched his head. "What the- ah!"

"Drew!" Jo shouted as she dropped next to her brother. "What's wrong? Drew!"

Drew screamed, his fingers parting his hair as he grabbed his head. "It hurts! It hurts! Ah!"

Roland looked frantically at Flabber. "Flabber, do something!"

The Phantasm stammered. "Oh. Um…uh…"

"Flabber!" Roland shouted. "Please!"

* * *

The insect goop grew to the size of a child and took humanoid shape. Black. Twisted. Featureless.

Jara smiled and placed a hand on the figure's chest.

"He is almost ready," she whispered with her clattering voice. "He is about to be born."

* * *

Drew dropped to his side, screaming and crying, his voice cracking. Jo held him, not knowing what else to do.

Flabber paced nervously. "There might be a spell. Maybe? I don't really know healing magic, it's not my schtick."

Roland knitted his brow. "You created Vexor and his monsters out of nothing!"

"Yeah but that's not _healing_!" Flabber shouted, panicked. The Phantasm leaned next to Drew and placed a hand on the boy's head. "Listen, little guy, you can-"

He hesitated. "Uh-oh."

"What?" Roland asked.

"I recognize this magic." Flabber said, straight-faced and serious for the first time since the kids met him. The phantasm closed his eyes and sent waves of energy through Drew's body. The boy stopped screaming, and his breathing returned to normal. "I can't stop it, but this should make him feel better until it passes."

"Until what passes?" Roland asked.

Jo looked up at Flabber, her face wet with tears. "What's happening to him?"

"It'll be over soon," Flabber said, and he stepped away.

* * *

The dark figure sat up on the pedestal. He reached out his hand, and a bonder appeared with a flash of dark light. The stranger breathed deeply, a wet and raspy sound.

Sorceress Jagul looked up at her creation. "It is done."

The figure stood and extended his bonder. "Shadow Bonder." His voice sounded like the death rattle of a child in his crib. "Shadow Blast."

Energy wrapped around him and took the shape of insectoid armor. The armor clasped into place as the figure grew to adult size. The transformation thundered with power that shook the whole ship.

When the thunder cleared, the stranger stood in armor that looked like the Beetle Borgs, only black.

"Welcome," the sorceress said. "My Shadow Borg."

* * *

Drew took a sip of water. He sat at the dining room with Roland and Jo, but didn't see Flabber anywhere.

"That was…intense," Drew said.

Jo kept her hand on her brother's arm. "I thought you were going to die."

"It sure felt like it," Drew said. "Where's Flabber?"

Roland looked towards the steps. "He calmed you down and then floated off upstairs."

Jo nodded. "I think he's mad that he couldn't do more to help."

"It's not just that," Roland said. "It was like he knew what was happening."

"How?" Drew asked.

"I don't know," Roland said.

Drew sighed and leaned back. "It must have something to do with that bug lady."

Jo tugged on her brother's shirt to get his attention. "We should get you to a hospital or doctor or something."

Drew shook his head. "I'm fine now."

The stairs started to creak. The kids looked up to see Flabber walking downstairs. He seemed sad, with his shoulders slumped and gaze lowered.

"Uh…kids?" he said. "I'm _really_ sorry, I _really_ let you down. _Really._"

"It's okay, Flabber," Drew said. "You did what you could. Just tell us what happened."

"Well…" Flabber said as he started to pace back and forth. "It's a long story. But I think I-"

The mansion shook- an alert spell that Flabber had put in place to monitor for Vexor and his monsters. A mirror flashed on the wall and showed an image of an empty warehouse.

"Uh oh!" Flabber shouted. "Bad guys! And they're…invisible? Maybe? I don't actually _see_ any bad guys."

"We better check it out," Drew said as he stood.

"Drew, no," Jo said. "You're hurt."

"I'm okay, really," Drew said. "Flabber, we'll talk when we get back. Can you get us close to that warehouse?"

"Yep!" Flabber shouted. "_That's_ something I _can_ do. Time to Borg out, Beetle Borgs!"

* * *

Flabber teleported Drew, Roland and Jo closer to the scene of the alert. The kids stepped into the darkened warehouse, but everything seemed normal- as far as deserted warehouses went.

"I don't get it," Roland said. "There's nothing here."

"Stay alert," Drew said. "_Something's_ got to be here."

Suddenly, they heard footsteps from the shadows. The kids stopped in their tracks and looked ahead, to where a figure stepped from the darkness.

The kids opened their eyes wide with shock as they faced Shadow Borg.

"What the…" Jo muttered.

"He looks like a Beetle Borg!" Roland shouted.

The figure spoke in a voice muffled with darkness. "I am no Beetle Borg. You can call me…Shadow Borg."

"Shadow Borg?" Drew said. "No thanks. I'll call you _toast_."

He really needed to work on his hero banter.

Slowly, Shadow Borg lifted his weapon. He fired bursts of purple energy that exploded around the kids, tossing them backward. They armed their Beetle Bonders as they tumbled across the floor.

"Beetle Blast!" Energy and armor wrapped around them as they transformed into Beetle Borgs.

Shadow Borg stalked towards the heroes.

"Your armor and powers are nothing compared to mine," Shadow Borg said. "You are whelplings. Children, wielding power that you do not understand."

"Understand this!" Green Hunter shouted as he reached behind his back. "Hunter Claw!"

His claw weapon wrapped around his forearm. He aimed the weapon at Shadow Borg and charged to attack.

Green Hunter clamped his claw around Shadow Borg's neck. But the blow barely phased the villain. Shadow Borg grabbed Green Hunter's throat and tightened his grip, armor sparking as it started to buckle.

Shadow Borg charged, forcing Green Hunter backward several meters. The villain hurled the Borg off his feet, and he went flying backward.

Green Hunter smashed Red Striker, and they crashed through the warehouse wall.

Shadow Borg tackled Blue Stinger and leapt through the opening. The villain landed outside and slammed the hero back-first to the ground.

"Drew!" Red Striker climbed to her feet and lunged at Shadow Borg with a hook punch.

Shadow Borg blocked and used his forearm claw to slash the Borg; the blade sparked on impact and whipped her aside.

Blue Stinger punched the evil Borg's side, knocking him away.

The Blue Beetle Borg rolled to his feet and snapped into a fighting stance. He and his two teammates surrounded the evil Borg.

"Beetle Magnums!" Blue Stinger shouted.

The Beetle Borgs pulled out their blasters. But before they could fire, Shadow Borg triggered his own blaster. He fired bursts of purple energy that struck the Beetle Borgs with bursts of spark. The blows knocked them off their feet.

The Borgs tumbled and rolled into crouched stances.

Blue Stinger looked towards his sister. "Jo, are you okay?"

"A little banged up, but I'm fine," she answered.

Green Hunter leapt through the air and swung his Hunter Claw at the villain. Shadow Borg blocked and knife-hand chopped the Borg to the ground.

Green Hunter rolled onto his back and swung his claw upward. Shadow Borg caught the claw and stomped Green Hunter's chest; the hero's armor buckled with a burst of spark.

"Roland!" Blue Stinger shouted.

Blue Stinger and Red Striker reached behind their backs and activated their weapons.

"Stinger Blade!"

"Striker Blaster!"

Shadow Borg snapped a grappling line that latched onto Red Stinger's blaster. He reeled her in, grabbed her arm, and twisted her into an arm-lock. The villain kept his boot planted on Green Hunter's chest; he had both Borgs at his mercy.

Terror gripped Blue Stinger Borg's throat. _What do I do…?_

**To be continued…**


End file.
